Tribulations and Mistletoe
by DaughterofPavlov
Summary: Lina and Gourry take a break from their travels and spend Yule with Amelia and Zelgadis in Seyruun. During their stay, Lina combats holiday drama amongst her friends and a particular swordsman only to reveal suppressed feelings she has always had. Will the magic of Yule help Lina keep her desires hidden? Or will the season of giving get the best of her? Post Evolution-R.
1. Gourry It's Cold Outside

_**Synopsis:** Lina and Gourry take a break from their travels and spend Yule with Amelia and Zelgadis in Seyruun. During their stay, Lina combats holiday drama amongst her friends and a particular swordsman only to reveal suppressed feelings she has always had. Will the magic of Yule help Lina keep her desires hidden? Or will the season of giving get the best of her? Post Evolution-R. Mainly L/G with a fair amount of A/Z._

**_Author's__ Note: _**Hello my dear readers! Just putting a little blurb out here that this is not only the first Slayers fanfic I have written from scratch in two or three years, but this is also my first fanfic solely centered around our main four characters in the franchise. I will do my best to stay true to these beloved characters and represent them well, but as I am new to writing for these couplings, please go easy on me. Hope you all enjoy this holiday themed fanfic! Oh, and as this world has no Jesus or Santa to truly speak of, rather than celebrating Christmas, I decided Yule would be the most compatible given the medieval-like setting.

**PG-13 RATING:** Rated T for crude humor, mild innuendo, and mild language. **NO** explicit themes though!

_The Slayers_ and all its characters sadly do not belong to me. All characters and settings (c) Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, Central Park Media, Funimation Entertainment, Enoki Films, Software Sculptors, and J.C. Staff.

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><p><strong>Tribulations and Mistletoe<br>**

by DaughterofPavlov

Chapter One

_Gourry, It's Cold Outside_

Ah, the winter holidays. A time of giving, joyous cheer, aiding one's fellow man, and stuffing one's face with many a delicacy. At that moment in time, it seemed as if the entire world was taking a part in all these flamboyant winter festivities.

That is, aside from two figures walking in the snow drifted woods which surrounded the white magic capital, Seyruun. Passing from town to town, it was evident that they had their minds set on that locality. Despite this determination though, it was clear that fatigue was overcoming them. With the snow packed up to their knees and the possibility of hypothermia looming over, the pair continued their trek. The one slightly at the lead was the infamous Lina Inverse, her auburn locks standing out in the blanket of white. The other was Gourry Gabriev, a swordsman with a mental capacity comparable to a jellyfish. The swordsman had stopped to rest for a moment when he happened to look ahead and see the subtle outlining of the city's enormous palace up ahead.

"Hey, it looks like Seyruun isn't much further Lina! Do you think we'll get there by tonight?" asked her blonde haired protector.

His female companion stopped and turned to face him, her arms clinging close to her rib cage and shivering slightly.

"Probably, that is, depending on if we want to set up camp for the night and just go in the morning or not. Honestly, it makes sense to stop and break camp considering how tenacious this storm is becoming. But..."

She became hesitant for a moment. So often she tried to appear strong and repel any weakness. Lina wasn't the type of woman to be a damsel in distress and she formulated her solutions. However, with an empty stomach, numbing legs, freezing body, and frost over her long eyelashes stinging her corneas, she gave one of her rare exasperated cries of defeat.

"I can't stand the thought of camping out for one more night without a decent meal! My body needs nourishment after all this walking we've been doing!"

Growling for a moment or two more, she continued, gaining her composure a bit and letting out a soft sigh.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered Amelia invited us to spend the holidays in Seyrunn with her, but could she have at least offered a carriage ride to the palace instead of making us trek all the way out here?!"

It was true that the journey was full of trepidation with the winter precipitation continually falling. Gourry knew Lina was tired without her having to tell him. He could tell in her fluttering eyes that she longed to sleep and the way she faltered when she walked was yet another indicator. Sometimes, he wished that the young woman would just tell him when she needed a break. Never would he think it to be a sign of weakness for her to admit any feelings she had, but rather a strength. Alas, with his red-headed comrade being as stubborn as a mule, he would have to take matters in his own hands. So being the noble swordsman that he was, Gourry did the only thing he could do in this situation.

"Hey! Gourry?! What do you think you're doing?!"

In a flash, Lina was in Gourry's muscular arms. He simply looked down at her and replied,

"You're tired and hungry Lina. As your protector, I feel it only to be right for me to carry you the rest of the way."

Lina's face was flushed in such a scarlet hue that it may have been difficult for the swordsman to distinguish if she was overcome by his act of kindness or the cold was causing her body to redden.

"Besides the sooner we get there, the sooner we can eat!"

The intensity in the sorceress's cheeks began to saturate back to her normal peachy hue and yet again, she hid her true feelings on the situation.

"I guess you have a point."

As rapidly as Gourry scooped her up, Lina yanked Gourry's blonde mane with ferocity.

"Alright then, giddy-up Gourry!" she exclaimed.

Exasperation and pain were obviously portrayed on the swordsman's face. Why did she always have to get so rough with him?

"Aw! Come on Lina! I'm not a horse!"

Lina simply snickered and replied, "With your hair, I'm surprised not to mistake it as a horse's mane! Now giddy up 'jingle horse'! Pick up your feet!"

Gourry, rightfully so in this situation, became perplexed.

"Huh, what's a 'jingle horse'?" he asked.

Unaware of the reference she made to a song evident in another world's popular holiday culture, Lina answered the best way she could.

"How should I know? Now move it! I wanna put my feet in front of a roaring fire and have a whole roasted chicken to myself!"

* * *

><p>As the 'couple' continued to trek through the frightful weather, activity was abundant in the Seyruun castle foyer. Countless people were busily setting up for the annual Yule celebration and Princess Amelia was avidly supervising all preparations and was the sole decorator of the giant tree put on display in the entrance way.<p>

It was a severe understatement to say that Amelia was over zealous about this time of year, getting wrapped up in the meaning and excitement that came with the holiday and going a little overboard on the decorations. Not that it caused any malicious altercations but rather every bit of the palace was engulfed in glitter, garland, tinsel, and pretty much everything glitzy and bombastic. Fortunately, the presence of a certain chimera helped curb some of this over the top decorating.

This year, Zelgadis joined her in the celebration begrudgingly, having returned from his trip across the sea and coming back at the time of year he hated the most. However, due to his prior obligations working for the Seyruun crown, he couldn't simply bail just because he hated the holidays. So on this evening, as he did the couple of other evenings prior to this date, Zelgadis aided in hanging garlands and such while also subtly asking Amelia if what she was putting up was a bit of an eye-sore. Despite the toning down of many of the decorations though. There was one item that Zelgadis would not and could not alter.

The tree in the foyer.

As mentioned previously, the tree at the main entrance was Amelia's magnum opus; the piece she took sole responsibility in bringing to existence. Down from picking the perfect tree, to constructing a team to bring it in, and to putting on the last bit of tinsel. This year proved to be her most ambitious with a thirty foot pine tree littered with everything colorful and bright imaginable. It was covered with glass colored ornaments of various sizes, paper garlands made by the local children, the longest gold garland probably in existence, an immense amount of tinsel, and the topper, a magnificent star echoing the outline of Seyruun.

Amelia, through levitation, had just put that very star on top of the tree and was descending back to the floor where her blue skinned companion was waiting hardly looking impressed, if not repulsed, by her creation. All the same, he knew how much this meant to Amelia so he did his best to hide his dislike.

The young white magic priestess landed next to him, stretched her arms behind her head and gleefully said, "There! It's perfect! What do you think Mister Zelgadis?"

Again, hiding any harsh critique, Zelgadis responded the best he could.

"It's- it's definitely... exuberant."

Amelia's eyes lit up almost as much as the decor on the tree and squealed, "Oh, thank you! I really hope Miss Lina and Mister Gourry like it as much as you!"

She then began to walk towards the foot of the tree, leaving the chimera standing alone. It was then Zelgadis was able to let his composure go a bit and shuddered a little from the sheer spectacle ahead of him.

"I'm sure they will."

Then he began to notice Amelia rummaging through the equally gaudy wrapped packages underneath the trees boughs. Perplexed, he motioned towards the princess and inquired, "What are you doing?"

She looked up towards her bodyguard and replied, "Just moving the presents around. We don't want Miss Lina and Mister Gourry peaking, do we?"

It was pretty obvious that the two Amelia mentioned would try to pull such a stunt. To both Zelgadis and the princess, it was almost unbelievable that two people so skilled in their given talents could be so childish at the same time. Then again, it was Lina and Gourry they were thinking about.

Abruptly Amelia rose from her crouched position, tool from her dress flying and she approached Zelgadis, extended her index finger and placed it on his stone cold nose.

"The same goes for you of course! You may say you 'hate' Yule, but I think you at least want to take a peak at your gift!"

Taken aback by her verbal and physical actions Zelgadis huffed, "I wouldn't partake in such a childish antic."

The princess tried to convey a different vantage point saying, "I just meant we all still have that little kid deep down in our hearts."

Her bodyguard's shoulders sank and he gave a painfully weary expression and uttered, "That little kid died a long time ago Amelia."

Heartache sat in Amelia's chest seeing and hearing the anguish her dear rock ridden chum bore so subtly on the exterior and imagining the demons he fought with internally on a daily basis. Still, she wanted so much to make him feel better and enjoy himself this holiday season; the first time in what she assumed to be a long time.

"Oh, Mister Zelgadis. I know things might have happened in the past to make you hate Yule, but you're with us now."

Perhaps not even realizing her inhibitions and actions, Amelia delicately clasped Zelgadis's clothed hands into her own and proposed, "We can make...new memories."

Zelgadis felt his supposedly small heart grow a couple sizes in that moment. The princess, despite her exuberance and immense zeal, brought great joy to his life and in that moment, he felt his past problems melt away like the snow engulfing the land. Small flowers would sprout in his soul and spring would make an early appearance.

Before he would say something a bit more warm and sincere though, winter returned as a large blast of cold air came into the palace knocking Amelia off of her feet and her hands left the comfort of Zelgadis's. Some of the decor, he, Amelia, and the other people had worked so hard on were flying from the sheer power of the gusts of snow and wind and blew all around enveloping everyone in the immediate area in a blend of the natural elements of the season and the artificial decor. Turning to face the storm, the chimera made out the shapes of two familiar people and the even more mundane shrilled voices that blasted from them.

"It's about time we got here Gourry!"

"Hey! It's freezing out there Lina, I'm did the best I could!"

"Oh, joy..." groaned Zelgadis placing a hand on his temple.

At last the door was closed and the wind was extinguished. Alas, some of the interior decorations didn't come out unscathed. There was tinsel abound on the floors and a portion of the garlands had fallen. Sure it would be cleaned up, but the fact that there was a mess that needed to be picked up was a bit of nuisance.

Amelia rose from underneath the great amount of tool and silk from her princess dress and with strands of hair in her face and sparkles in her locks as well, looked at Zelgadis, Lina, and Gourry in a huff.

"Oh, Miss Lina! Why do have to make such a dramatic entrance!"

"Oh? No, 'Hi Miss Lina, Mister Gourry it's so good to see you! Did you fare okay in that dreadful snowstorm that we made you walk through?' This coming from a princess snuggled up with her bodyguard drinking cocoa by the fire!"

Zelgadis's cheeks subtly became flushed with that illustration.

"Not to mention, that 'dramatic entrance' bit is rich coming from you!"

Lina stopped as the immense twinkling from the tree grabbed her attention. She turned to face the behemoth conifer.

"What the hell is that?"

A puzzled expression slowly crept onto Amelia's face. She didn't know how to respond. "My Yule tree. Don't you like it?"

The red-haired sorceress's eyebrows furrowed and her pupils shrunk showing a look of disgust. "Like it? It's God awful! Who the hell puts that much tinsel on a tree?"

Whether to stop further degradation of Amelia's hard work or it was his mere opinion on her work, Gourry had to interject. "I think it's pretty!"

Lina simply turned to face her dimwitted companion and muttered, "Of course you do Gourry."

Feeling hurt by her friend's disapproval and hurtful review, Amelia tried to hide her battered feelings. She turned to the side and closed her eyes to avoid Lina in her peripheral vision.

"Well at least Mister Gourry and Mister Zelgadis appreciate my work."

The last person Amelia mentioned caused Lina to shift her criticism to the chimera.

"Really? Zel, Mr.-I-hate-Yule **_loves_** this atrocity? C'mon Zel. We all know what you _really_ like about this tree."

Zelgadis was silent. Finally, he used the same description he gave Amelia previously.

"It's exuberant."

A scoff spilled from Lina's mouth and she answered, "Same as the person who_ made_ it."

Growing hot with annoyance Zelgadis snarled, "Listen you! Amelia has put a lot of effort into this! The least you could do is tell her she did a good job in her work ethic."

Not threatened at all by her blue skinned friend, Lina shrugged off the threat and counteracted by replying, "Hey, the most you could do is help her off the ground. As for me, I'm gettin' some chicken. I'm starving!"

With that Lina began to exit the room and headed for the kitchen yelling out idle threats to anyone in her way. Gourry followed her with a quicker pace after realizing he was famished too.

"Hey Lina! Save some for me!"

As the two buffoons went to dine, Zelgadis returned his attention to Amelia struggling to get up thanks to the flamboyance of her dress. After finding her amongst the immense amount of fabric, the chimera helped her to her feet, albeit she felt a little shaky. Concerned for her well-being, he encouraged her to sit down to regain her composure.

"Thank you Mister Zelgadis. You are so kind to me."

Zelgadis became flustered once more and said nothing in reply.

Something still rattled the princess's brain though. Turning to look at her masterpiece one more she asked for Zegladis's honesty.

"Is it really that bad?"

Even though he hated the holiday, her bodyguard simply hated to see Amelia disappointed. Besides, if it made her happy, what harm was it causing? So he replied with his earnest reply.

"No. It's perfect."

* * *

><p>As expected, it didn't take Lina and Gourry long to devour all the food that filled up the entire Seyruun palace dining table. After ingesting various roasted root vegetables, an ample amount of biscuits, mountains of mashed potatoes with cascading gravy, three roasted chickens, a few alcoholic beverages, and of course saving room for seven different kinds of desserts between the two of them, the sorceress and the swordsman were as stuffed as ticks. Their stomachs bulged from their excessive eating and the two partook in a brief series of belches to show their appreciation for the grub. In their company were Zelgadis and Amelia who didn't seem to be phased by the horror of their companions' dining. Perhaps they had become accustomed to this feeding ritual which was comparable to ravenous wolves. Then again, wolves seemed to have better etiquette than Lina and Gourry...<p>

Feeling the need to end this frenzy and bad table manners, Zelgadis interjected, "Good to see that the two of you got here in one piece."

Gourry shook his head in acknowledgement and replied with a chortle, "Yeah, the weather was getting pretty bad and I think if we went another day without a decent meal, Lina was going to go crazy."

The red-haired woman merely grumbled a jumble of indistinguishable words and wiped off her greased lips and sides of her mouth haphazardly with the delicate cloth napkin supplied to her use. The first time she used it during the whole meal.

Still taken aback by Lina's sharp criticism of her tree decor, Amelia avoided conversation with her. Unbeknownst to the dark haired young woman, her fiery female companion caught on that she may have been a bit of a loose canon when they first came. Not to mention, she knew how sensitive Amelia was about certain things and never would intentionally hurt her feelings.

"Hey, Amelia?" Lina called.

Her counterpart continued to ignore her, almost acting impish by sticking her nose up in disgust. Rather than lose her temper again, Lina tried to speak again.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I guess I said some hurtful things and I didn't mean to. Not to mention, my hunger was probably getting to my head. It's Yule season and of all the times of the year to get into a tiff, this is one of the worst ones to do that."

A smile crept on the red head's face, her eyes widening with the fervor they always had.

"So, whadda' 'ya say? Want to put that petty spat aside and have a great holiday?"

Amelia could simply not be mad at Lina for that long of a period. She was well accustomed to Lina's temper as it was, and perhaps she had gone a little over the top with the tree. She smiled and nodded her head replying, "Sure! Let's make this the best Yule we've ever had!"

"Now that's the spirit, Amelia!" cried Lina but in the process of applauding her friend's reconciliation, the sorceress found herself falling back in her chair landing on her back with a hard thud.

Her companions all jumped to their feet to aid her, but she assured she was fine. Then Lina began to think that the four of them were finally reunited again, and for the biggest shindig of the year on top of that.

Yep, this Yule was gonna be something.

* * *

><p>The next morning after a good night's rest for all, the four friends gathered to the Seyruun dining hall once more to feast on an immense fare of breakfast dishes. Oven baked french toast with a maple and brown sugar butter topping, eggs prepared in every way imaginable, at least five pounds of bacon, sausage patties, rustic hashbrowns, and tons of coffee. As seen from the previous night's meal, it was necessary to have able amounts of sustenance given how much Lina and Gourry scarf down at a meal.<p>

The group also began discussing plans for the day only to realize an itinerary was already in the works for them.

Prior to their arrival in Seyruun, Lina and Gourry had no idea what lay in store for them on this winter vacation. However, Lina had a foreboding feeling that Amelia would want to bombard them with a plethora of activities; enough to complete three Yules.

As it turned out, Lina was right on the money.

Their princess friend had already compiled an extensive list of plans for she and her pals to participate in. From the more jaunty, albeit childish, lore of building snowmen and having snowball fights, to a cultured night at a theater production of a famous Yule tale, Amelia covered all the bases. In regards to figure out which one to do first on the other hand, proved to be a bit strenuous. Especially all of her friends were on different ends of a tolerance and involvement spectrum. Lina was quick to criticize and try to change itineraries that best suited her, Amelia was adamant as it was in being definite in the activities she definitely favored over others, and Zelgadis, suffice it to say, was not the life of the party on any holiday, especially Yule. Thanks to his tumultuous and bittersweet past, the chimera was left deadened of practically any enjoyment that the season brought often wanting to brood by himself, furthering the segregation he already had with his friends. The only one pretty lenient with activity choice was Gourry with his chipper Golden Retriever disposition, always ready for fun and games.

"Come on guys. Why can't we just compromise to do something we ALL want to do?" the blonde swordsman

"Because they're being a bunch of stubborn idiots, that's why!" Lina shrieked more annoyed in not getting her way than reaching a compromise.

"Oh, Miss Lina! We always do what you want. I agree with Mister Gourry. We should do something we _all_ enjoy!" cried the dark haired sorceress.

"Well, you can cross off watching icicles form with Zelgadis. Who would want to do something so boring?"

The chimera actually wasn't staring and focusing on the formation of the freezing water. Rather it was a jab Lina made to his stoic behavior and staring vacantly into the falling snow.

"And another thing, no one, except a little kid or Gourry wants to build snowmen. God, have you grown up at all?!"

Getting annoyed with Lina's defiance and the list getting shorter and shorter with every rebuttal, Amelia finally gave in to the sorceress's snide remarks, but with a twist.

"Fine. Maybe some of these ideas are a bit childish but we should do_ something_. Will you at least compromise to go see a play this evening Miss Lina?"

She paused for a moment.

"What's the play about?"

Moaning from exasperation Amelia asked, "Why? So you can just say it's a stupid concept and that you won't want to go?"

"Well, I want to know what it's about before I invest in spending money to go see it."

Amelia mumbled, "Well, I already bought the tickets..."

"Whatever, just tell me already."

"It's a love story which tells the history of mistletoe."

Lina assumed as much. Leave it to Amelia to try to drag them to play full of as much fluff as half the melodramatic romance novels the princess adored. Suffice it say, the auburn haired sorceress did find the premise idiotic and mind-numbing. Nevertheless, she recalled the mentioning of making this Yule the best possible and it was Amelia that was letting them stay with her for the holidays and she already caused enough anguish when they arrived. So it was probably a good idea to go along with going to one thing Amelia wanted to go.

Besides, the sooner she saw the production, the sooner she could do something she wanted to do.

"Sounds like fun!"

Amelia was gobsmacked. To think Lina would find such a play fun, let alone intriguing was quite a striking change in character.

"Really? You want to go?"

"Sure! Why not! I guess I should do one cultured thing while I stay with you. Besides, everyone should get something out of it. I'll do something civilized, Gourry will like the pretty costumes, and Zel should like the educational stuff."

The chimera scoffed at the sorceress's remark replying, "I highly doubt there will be great historical accuracy, given the subject matter."

The princess fortunately didn't hear his remark and went on ahead in a joyous response.

"Great! I'll help you all with your evening wear and we'll leave at eight o'clock!"

Now was Lina's turn to be taken aback.

"What do you mean by 'evening wear'?"

Oh boy. Now was the time for another hurdle for Amelia had to maneuver. Her dear friend was hardly one that liked to get dolled up all that much with her rough and tumble tomboyish mannerisms and getting her to conform to dress like an elegant lady for an evening could prove to be a bit of stretch. Then again, Lina had moments when she liked something a bit more feminine once in while. The princess could only pray that this may be one of those instances.

Alas, from the body language Lina was giving off, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Now, Miss Lina. Please don't be difficult. It's only custom for someone attending a live production to dress up a little."

Growling at the prospects of wearing a dress already made Lina sizzle with mild anger. Still, she still tried to remember that previous thought she had.

"I promise it won't be anything too flamboyant!" cried Amelia crossing her heart and sweating a bit from the sheer nervousness of Lina's subtle but menacing reaction.

Keeping her composure all the same though, Lina just let out a small interjection.

"Just don't put me in anything green. I don't want to look like a leprechaun."

* * *

><p>As predicted, it was a challenge to say the least to find a dress Lina could stomach. From having too much tool which she claimed made her butt enormous, too many pleats which the sorceress thought were just stupid, and the ever daunting task to find dresses that would accommodate to Lina's small chest without her blowing up the evening wear establishment they were in, Amelia had her hands full.<p>

After trying on a slew full of dresses, Lina's paper thin patience that she normally had, was wearing to the point of non-existence.

"For crying out loud! Do I _really_ need to wear a stupid get-up to see a freaking play?!" shrilled Lina scratching her head incessantly from frustration.

Rather than perpetuate her temper tantrum, the princess continued to distract her comrade.

"We will find a dress soon, Miss Lina. I promise."

Hurriedly she ran from the dressing room the two occupied and spoke to the manager in a hushed tone.

"Please, we need to find her a dress quickly or she may blow up the store!"

Already nervous about having Lina Inverse in her store, the middle aged owner gathered her small group of staff and instructed them to look for a dress throughout the establishment that suited Lina's needs. The task itself was arduous and Amelia began to fear the worst. Then, after a mere ten minutes, a staff member arrived with a dress that fit Lina's specifications. No added tool, no pleats, and the bust size would accommodate for Lina's underdeveloped breasts.

While it was miraculous for such a dress to be found, the only snag Amelia saw with it was the color and parts of its construction. As red as Lina's eyes it would compliment her physical features well, but it was such an intense color; full of vigor and passion. Would Lina find it too alluring or get the wrong impression? Furthermore, the neckline was a wee bit lower than Lina would probably like. Would it call too much attention to the area of her body she was most ashamed of?

Having no other options, Amelia scampered back to her friend with the dress in tow. While she approached her, she silently prayed to Cepheid that Lina would like it and everyone would get out in one piece.

"Here Miss Lina." she said to the sorceress shakily as her quivering hands reached out towards Lina's general direction.

Snatching the clothing from Amelia without taking a good look, Lina barked, "It took you long enough! I've been standing here forever!"

Already anxious Amelia put out a disclaimer for her friend hoping that a calamity would not occur in the next few minutes. All the same, she had already advised the owner and her staff out of the building.

"Now this was the best they could do, so please keep your cool."

Still not looking down to observe the item in her hand Lina went on with her rant.

"Yeah, the same people who brought me the God awful aqua dress with the tool, that lavender dress that made me look like an old hag, and all the other horrendous gowns. What could make this last one any better?"

At last she looked down at what she had in her clutched hand. She held the dress arms-length away from her witnessing the vibrant color and the near negligee appearance around the neckline.

Rather than scream at the dress she held, a great scarlet hue graced Lina's entire face comparable the color of the gown itself. Her complexion wasn't the result of anger though, but embarrassment.

"A-Amelia..." she stammered her hands now growing a bit shaky as well, "I-is this really the best they could do?"

Almost surprised that nothing was blown to smithereens her friend responded, "Well, yes. Given your specifications of what you _didn't_ want, this was the only one that would suffice." A pause came between the two of them, and after a minute or so, Amelia questioned, "Do you hate it?"

Honestly, Lina didn't know what to say. It was a beautiful dress fit for a gorgeous woman. She found the color luxurious, the cut appealing and everything about it screamed amazing. It was a tad bit sensual with out looking kinky. It was dramatic, yet subtle. All in all, it was a wonderful find.

There was a catch though.

"I just don't think I can wear something this pretty." she finally admitted, her voice extremely soft, almost like she was shy, and the flushing of her cheeks getting deeper with every word she uttered.

Comfortingly, Amelia touched one of Lina's shoulders. While she was somewhat surprised that Lina would say that sort of thing, to another extent, it wasn't that big of a shocker. There were moments when Lina let her inhibitions show through, most often in Amelia's company and this happened to be one of those moments.

"Miss Lina, you _are_ beautiful." assured her friend. "I know you would look wonderful in this dress."

Still hesitant Lina remained where she stood, looking down at the garment again and slightly trembling at the notion of wearing it. She had never worn a dress like this before and she wasn't sure what people would think seeing someone like herself in such a display. Would she be embarrassing herself? What would Amelia and Zelgadis really think of their rowdy Lina wearing such an outfit? On a more foreboding note, what would Gourry think of it?

Trying to prod her into at least putting on the gown, Amelia did her best to be encouraging and supportive.

"I know it might be scary Miss Lina, but you'll never know until you try it on. Please just try. I think you'll be very surprised. In a good way, of course!"

Instead of cracking one liners and getting abrasive, Lina quietly went into the changing room and began the process of putting the dress on. Pulling it over her head, she felt the soft fabric against her face and all the way down her body as the crimson cloth flowed down like a cascading pour of red wine. A sensation went through her veins. Never before had she felt almost attractive in putting on such a garb. The trick was, would she be able to pull it off and feel good in it?

When she finally had it on, Lina summed up the courage to step out and look at it in 360 degrees series of mirrors Amelia was waiting in. As she graced the princess with her presence, Amelia was flabbergasted by what her friend bore on her body. Sure she had already thought the outfit would look great on Lina, but seeing it actually on her was a different experience all together. She looked drop dead gorgeous!

"Oh, Miss Lina!" she squealed, trying to not freak out too much and make Lina more uncomfortable. "You look incredible."

It was then Lina took a good look at herself in the mirror. It was as if the skilled sorceress feared by so many had been transformed into an elegant lady. The dress fit her like a glove, not accentuating too much, but it was able to highlight her tiny waist and hips, giving her some definition. While her breasts still weren't a huge focal point, with the way the neckline was cut, it seemed to give the allusion that they were a little larger than Lina normally viewed them. For the first time in her life, Lina felt, well, beautiful.

"I-I don't know what to say," began the red head, her cheeks still a bit red. "I never thought that I could look-"

She cut herself off, rubbing her arms in slight discomfort but all the same enjoying her transformation.

"Do you think I can pull this look off Amelia?" asked Lina almost in a whimper.

Nodding her head with utmost certainty, Amelia said, "You will look smashing tonight, Miss Lina. Everyone will adore you!"

Finally baring a slight smile Lina chuckled and admitted, "Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to get dressed up for a change."

Perhaps not realizing what she was saying her friend added, "Yeah, and I'm sure Mister Gourry will love it!"

Adrenaline pulsed through Lina's spine and the red cheeks she once had from embarrassment and fear, turned into a combination of paralyzing fear and a wee bit of anger.

"Amelia- don't say stuff like that." snapped the red haired woman, feeling haughty about a topic she herself had been combating for years.

Perplexed by her friend's sudden change of attitude and the issue not dawning on her quite yet Amelia inquired, "Stuff like what?"

The frustration seeping more into her blood, Lina snarled back,"You know what I mean."

Then it dawned on the dark haired princess. The same old song and dance the smart-ass sorceress and idiot swordsman partook in everyday.

"Oh, Miss Lina! Please don't be difficult. You know as well as I do that you really care for Mister Gourry."

Lina sent back those words with a counter argument in an attempt to derail the issue being presented.

"Well, you care an awful lot about Zel! How would you like it if I shoved it down your throat!"

Now feeling flushed cheeks Amelia tried to bring the conversation back into focus.

"First of all, you do! And furthermore, don't turn the conversation around Miss Lina! You always have a habit of doing that!"

Realizing that she wouldn't get any further with her friend by arguing, Amelia calmed herself down by taking a deep breath and taking a pause.

"Miss Lina, please don't get mad at me. I know that you have special feelings for Mister Gourry. It's only natural considering you've traveled for a long time and you've been through a lot of trials and tribulations. Besides, I know those looks you give him."

A sharper spike of endorphins went up Lina's body with that last comment. She turned to her friend and said in a harsh tone, "Amelia, I don't know what you're talking about and I certainly don't want to get into such a conversation. Let's just buy the damn dress and get out of here."

With that she twirled herself away from Amelia's sight, walked into the dressing room and slammed the door with ferocity.

"That stupid Amelia!" she thought to herself as she slid out of her dress and reached for her traditional cape and various articles of clothing. "What does she know about anything?! She knows the looks I give Gourry, my ass! She hardly is aware of all the mindless and mushy stuff she does towards Zel! When did she become such an expert on romance?!"

After exiting the changing room, she shot a sharp glare to Amelia and she walked with the princess to the owner's counter.

After returning from outside the shop and feeling a sense of relief that nothing was demolished, there still hung a nervousness in the air with Lina's fuming facial expression, body language, and occasional vocalization. Being a good friend and knowing Lina would never pay even half price for an article of clothing, Amelia payed for both she and Lina's gowns without complaint though her father would later ask her why she made a big dent in her clothing funds. After writing the check, she handed it to the woman whom shakily accepted her payment still feeling unnerved by the princess's companion. As the two finally exited the store, it was apparent that a sigh of relief resonated throughout the shop.

The pair then encountered their male companions waiting outside, having finished their apparel shopping long before them. Rather than go back to the palace, they figured it would best to wait for their female friends. However, they seemed puzzled as they had bore witness to the previous events surrounding the owner and her staff leaving the building and waiting outside for a fashion.

"Did everything go okay? We noticed all the people outside and one of them said they were waiting to make sure the coast was clear." asked Gourry seeming especially concerned.

His chimera counterpart was not as sensitive saying with irritation, "It took you both long enough. I suppose you both found dresses that you approved of?"

"It went fine." growled Lina frustrated with the insensitivity she detected in Gourry's voice now heightened from her previous interaction with Amelia despite the lack of such connotations in the swordsman's voice. The hot headed sorceress then proceeded to storm off heading back to the palace without the company of her companions.

The two men slightly sweated from the bitter response.

"What's wrong with her?" questioned Zelgadis.

With a heavy sigh Amelia replied, "Oh, nothing different than usual."

To that, the chimera and the princess looked at the blonde swordsman to which Gourry was befuddled by their stares.

""Huh, what?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello again my dear readers and thanks again for reading the first chapter. I do hope you all enjoyed it and that you will enjoy the other upcoming chapters.


	2. A Night at the Theater

**DISCLAIMER: **_The Slayers_ and all its characters sadly do not belong to me. All characters and settings (c) Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, Central Park Media, Funimation Entertainment, Enoki Films, Software Sculptors, and J.C. Staff.

* * *

><p><strong>Tribulations and Mistletoe<strong>

Chapter Two

_A Night at the Theater_

Evening came as the group prepared for the night's affair. The men were busy straightening up their suits and putting on cologne while the women were getting their gowns on and applying necessary cosmetics.

Gourry picked out an actually fashionable tunic; dark violet in color and had gold trim on the front with pants that complimented the top portion of his outfit, as well as a pair of dark dress shoes. Zelgadis on the other hand, was forced to wear traditional Seyruun garb as he was appointed as Amelia's bodyguard and was therefore to be recognized as part of the Seyruun staff. To put it briefly, he was annoyed that he couldn't have much of a choice in his attire but went along with it begrudgingly.

While out with Lina, Amelia had picked out a soft lavender gown that complimented the violet highlights in her hair with a neckline that exposed the upper portions of her breasts and was a little less poufy than a dress she would normally wear as a princess. She also sported a pair of silver chandelier dangling earrings and decided not to wear a necklace in order to make her breasts-

"What am I thinking?" thought the princess as she examined herself in her full length mirror. "I would never scantily cover my feminine features intentionally, so why do I feel this pulsating motivation to do so?"

As it had turned out, those blunt mentions of the young woman being infatuated with her chimera bodyguard, by none other than Lina, began to sink in.

It was evident that she always had a great deal of affection for Zelgadis. Albeit, when they first met in the days of battling Eris and Kopi Rezo in Sairaag, Zelgadis was not too thrilled to have the likes of her in his company. Then again, Amelia was a wee bit wary of him herself. However, by the end of that epic battle she would have to admit there was something within the likes of him that she had not seen before. Not to mention a stirring that began to rupture in her heart.

By the time they had gone through the dangers of defeating monsters such as Gaav, Hellmaster Fibrizo, Valgaav, and Zanaffar once more after said events in Sairaag, and ultimately Shabranigdo, the two had traveled together in a similar fashion as Lina and Gourry, even resulting in the blue skinned man becoming her bodyguard. After so much time together they had grown so close.

And yet, it still felt like they were at opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to the future of a blossoming relationship. Amelia being the flower ready to burst into bloom and Zelgadis keeping to his introverted self and suppressing any feelings he did have. Alas, the princess was not aware of Zelgadis's true feelings and desires and attributed his aloofness as disinterest. With that said, she finally came to the conclusion to be a bit unorthodox in her attention seeking.

If he wasn't going to act on it, then she'd have to take matters into her own hands.

"Maybe I need to be a bit more obvious in my dress to get his attention. Yeah, that's it! If Mister Zelgadis doesn't see me as a woman now, then he definitely will tonight! For the sake of justice, I must flaunt my feminine blessings!"

With that said, Amelia began the task of making sure her body looked perfect for tonight's event.

Then came a sudden knock from the princess's chamber door. Upon opening the entrance, she saw her familiar fiery haired friend. Apparently, Lina had been able to hear her last bombastic exclaim because the sorceress's face was a hybridization of perplexed and disgusted. Then a smug look graced her face and she chuckled in amusement to her friend's dilemma.

"So, you decided to bring in the 'big guns' Amelia? I'm sure Zel will get turned on by those babies."

Looking down and realizing the innuendo her companion was referring to, Amelia growled in frustration and replied, "Oh, Miss Lina! Must you be so crude?"

Laughing aloud, Lina strolled in uninvited, typical of her, and answered, "Buzz off Amelia, you should feel blessed to have such...a bosom." Snarling in her continual turmoil of underdeveloped breasts, the sorceress tried to deflect her insecurities. "I just wanted to come in and look in your mirror. It's larger than the one I'm saddled with and I want to make sure I look good."

Regarding Lina's apparel, she slipped on the little red number that she and Amelia had purchased earlier that day also being able to snag some gold earrings with a subtle gold chain which ended a little past her collar bone; all provided by Amelia, of course.

As she looked at herself once more in the mirror, she couldn't help but still feel an uncertainty about her appearance. Ironic, that she suffered a similar plight as a friend.

"Amelia, I really don't know if I can do this. I just don't want to look foolish."

Instead of giving Lina a taste of her own medicine, Amelia gave her a loose hug from behind. "You look beautiful Miss Lina. Now, it's time for you to feel that within you."

Again, another knock came from the door in simultaneous occurrence as a verbal "Knock, knock."

The voice was familiar but considering it was a male voice, Amelia inquired, "Who's there?"

Frustrated with the obvious owner of the voice, Lina grimaced, "It's Gourry, Amelia."

Before granting him permission to enter the blonde seemed confused, though this was not an uncommon occurrence.

"Um, is this supposed to be a knock, knock joke, you guys?"

Growing hot, Lina hollered, "No! Of course not, bait for brains! Just get in here!"

"Oh, uh, okay." Gourry shakily replied.

Stepping into the room, the swordsman glanced at both the girls happily praising, "Hey, you both look great!"

Then his gaze fell onto Lina, not taking his visible eye off of her. He stepped closer to his female companion causing Lina to flush slightly in her cheeks.

"You-you look beautiful Lina," he stammered enamored by the sorceress's attire.

Blushing even harder Lina muttered, "Oh, thank you Gourry."

Then it was Lina's turn to take a good look at Gourry's outfit. He looked like a gallant prince straight out of a fairy tale. Granted, Lina was never one to be a damsel in distress, but she had to admit, if she had to be rescued by someone, it would be pretty neat for it to be Gourry in that outfit.

"You don't look too shabby yourself, Gourry," she giggled a non-characteristic behavior of hers entirely.

But her male comrade didn't think anything of it, chiding in with his own laughter replying, "Yeah, I cleaned up pretty good, huh?"

Trying to contain her enthusiasm for this adorable conversing, Amelia did notice that the play would begin in the next half hour or so and it was vital for the gang to arrive before the theater became a mad house.

"Well, we'd better get a move on. Don't want to be late!" exclaimed the princess.

Coming to the realization themselves, Lina and Gourry nodded and headed out the door with Amelia.

"Yeah, we better get moving," added Lina. "I bet Zel's already downstairs in a huff because we weren't as prompt as him."

* * *

><p>As Lina predicted, Zelgadis was waiting for the remaining three in their party.<p>

A characteristic groan resonated in the chimera's throat. "What could be taking them so long? The play will begin in a half hour and we should get there a little bit early to get to our seats."

With a heavy exasperated sigh, Zelgadis motioned himself away from the foot of the staircase where he stood and towards the entry way door.

"Perhaps if they see me right at the door, it might dawn on them how important it is for us to depart as soon as possible."

Being Amelia's bodyguard for a considerable amount of time made Zelgadis very precise in her arrivals and departures as each event required her presence at an exact time. This proved to be no different, but it was evident Gourry and Lina were taking their sweet time in getting ready.

As he walked slowly to his desired location, Zelgadis couldn't help but point his direction towards the magnificent and flamboyant tree. He bore a small smile in thought of Amelia and how much she longed to bring that Yule magic back in his heart.

_We could make new memories._

Those few but endearing words resonated in his mind. How nice it was for someone to try to put the effort into bringing a spark of joy back into his life. Looking at the tree, he gained a small fraction of that whimsical fascination back, if not for a fleeting moment. It brought back long ago memories of him as a young boy taking residence in one of Rezo's mansions in the winter. Back to the days he believed in the spirit of the holiday, enjoyed the food and presents, and perhaps, most poignantly of all, the family, despite its dysfunction, he once was so enthralled with.

Then the memory went cold with just that reminder. That family; the family he thought would always be supportive of him and never tear him down. The result was quite the opposite.

Closing his eyes and shaking his head a bit in anger he turned away from the tree's gaudy exterior. It was definite that those past betrayals seemed to seal his fate in regards to hating the holidays.

But then came those words again that Amelia spoke. Perhaps, that was his opportunity to better appreciate the season. After all, these new memories could help in the replacement of bittersweet past ones.

He looked back at the tree and couldn't help but glance at the extravagantly wrapped gifts under the tree. So many varying shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns littered the base of the great fir. The chimera began to wonder which ones were his. Surely Amelia had picked out one gift for him, as for the others, it was hit and miss. But Zel didn't really care about who gave him a gift and how many he was to receive. Rather, he was intrigued with the prospects of the box's contents.

His gift for Amelia had already been purchased, neatly wrapped, and placed under the tree stacked on top of a box perceived to be for Philionel by the sheer size of the package. The chimera's eyes locked onto the small box wrapped in a delicate cerulean wrapping paper, the same color as Amelia's eyes and a subtle silver ribbon took residence on the sides and was tied in a neat bow on the top. A smile crept once more on his face and a hope sprung in his soul that the princess would enjoy his gift. It had taken months to find the perfect item and he couldn't help but feel apprehensive of the results come Yule morning.

That being said, he then developed an anxiety of what was to be in store for him. Ensuring no one was coming down yet, Zelgadis inched himself closer and closer to the bountiful pile of presents. Bending down to get at eye level with what lay beneath the boughs; Zelgadis sneakily examined the tops of the gifts hoping to get a glance at a name tag that bore his name. Slowly moving each box and then placing them in their exact position once more, the chimera continued his search sadly unable to find a single present for him. A sharp pang fell in his heart.

"What the hell are you doing Zel?" a shrill voice shrieked from up the stairs. Hurriedly scurrying out from under the tree, Zelgadis did his best to regain his composure.

"I was merely making sure that none of the gifts were confiscated. I thought that there was one missing." explained the blue skinned man with a callous tone.

There was one missing indeed. His gift.

Amelia oblivious of this development went ahead and motioned herself towards her companion extending her arm to be wrapped around his to be escorted.

In response, Zelgadis coldly walked away snarling, "We're already late. Let's get moving."

The princess's eyes clouded in slight hurt from his actions but her developing tears began to recede when her red headed friend motioned for her to keep her chin up.

"He's just crabby. He'll be fine once we get there Amelia."

Nodding her head mildly Amelia tried to put on a brave face but couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.

* * *

><p>Once they arrived at the theater, the gang sat down to partake in their cultured evening. Some albeit were less than amused for various reasons but all decided to put on the best face possible.<p>

All started out smoothly in retrospect. Sure Gourry needed help reading some of the words in the pamphlet, but Lina kept her cool and assisted the swordsman. After all, he had just called her beautiful and she was still on that artificial high. As for Zelgadis and Amelia, the princess was still rightfully upset with her bodyguard's harsh tone and mannerisms and ignored any subtle glances he gave her with an over exaggerated _"Hmph!"_ to which he rolled his eyes wallowing in his self-pity and continually reading over his program pamphlet to look natural. Still, there was no screaming or huge uproar to be said, so what could foul this outing to such a point?

"Excuse me, good Sir?"

Gourry and Lina turned from each other's conversations and turned around to see a woman around 25 or so, sitting behind them making eye contact with them. Her skin was a slightly deeper peach tone than Lina's accented with gold eyes, long eyelashes, red lipstick, and a dark brunette mane. Her hair alone had a lot of body in it with tons of waves and curls. As for her actual body...well, that's what truly started to grate at Lina's nerves. She wore a scantily clad dress very similar to Lina's, perhaps a shade darker, and her breasts, unlike the sorceress's, filled the chest region immensely as well as her sporting a pair of curvy hips, smooth bare legs, and some killer heels. All of these features made her quite an alluring sex symbol.

"I hate to intrude, but I seem to be having trouble seeing the stage. Would you kindly switch places with one of your companions so I can see it a little better?"

Gourry being the gentleman he was, obliged replying, "Sure thing, sorry about my big head and tall stature."

To that the young woman giggled effervescently and assured him, "Oh, please. Your head is perfect and your hair is so luxurious. Honestly, if this wasn't a play that I've been dying to see, perhaps I'd let you stay in your seat."

Being oblivious to the flirtatious comments Gourry proceeded to move himself in a new spot. "Say, Lina? You mind if you switch with me?"

Not trying to make a scene and show her irritation with the woman behind them, Lina reciprocated his request.

"Sure thing."

At least now, she thought, this woman would stop hitting on Gourry and watch the damn play. Then again, she was a bit taken back by this woman's appearance. Here was a woman wearing a dress that shared great commonality with hers and she pulled it off effortlessly. She felt doltish.

_Maybe Gourry won't think I'm that beautiful now that he's seen that bombshell..._

It perpetuated further frustration for the sorceress that even after switching seats, the woman continued to talk to Gourry with amorous intention in every word she uttered.

"My, my you look _so_ handsome this evening!" she exclaimed with a heavy rhapsodic tone and twirling a strand of her chocolate locks.

Blushing from the flattery Gourry replied, "Heh, thanks! I'm not used to getting this dressed up being a swordsman and all."

"Ah, so you're a swordsman. I bet you can wield that sword without fail."

The blonde man sweated at the supposed cajolery and the possibility of sexual insinuation; though it was unlikely he sensed the latter implication. "Yeah, I guess I'm pretty good."

The woman's eyelashes fluttered and her eyelids lowered giving her an alluring expression. Her red lips shimmered and bore an intimate smile.

"You should show me sometime."

Lina's hairs stood straight on the back of her neck just from that proposition, the tipping point of a rising aggression towards the situation going on in her proximity. How she wanted to turn around and slap that sultry look off that woman. She knew though that had she done that, Amelia would never let her live it down that she had created a scene and couldn't behave for one night.

All the same, she just wanted to tell that siren a thing or two...

Not catching on to any of the discernible coquetry this woman was embellishing in their conversation and Lina's rising discomfort, Gourry responded to her in an innocent manner.

"Say, you're real nice. What's your name?"

"Riannon."

_Figures._ Lina thought to herself and rolling her eyes in obvious distress. She had heard of that name before. It was derived from a queen-goddess of fertility. Pretty typical of a name for such a voluptuous vixen.

Gourry's naive nature continued to shine through. "That's a really pretty name!"

The continual turmoil went on boiling in the sorceress's heart. The flushing of her cheeks had evolved into red engulfing her face like the base of a steaming tea kettle. She began to grind her teeth as racing thoughts of irritation persisted through her head. How she resented this woman with great animosity and wanted so badly to rip her to pieces.

_How can he honestly fall for this floozy's act?_ she pondered trying to find clarity.

_He can be such an idiot at times. You would think that he knows when he's being hit on? I mean really? Liners like "wielding your sword" and "My, my how handsome you are!" don't indicate she's turned on by him?_ A sigh fell from her lips as she reminded herself, _Well, if he hasn't noticed any of the hints past women have dropped on him by now, I don't he ever will._

She then glanced at her other two companions also seeing a similar drama play out. Amelia was down in the dumps with her bodyguard's dejection, and the chimera was his usually brooding self. Briefly making eye contact with Zelgadis, Lina began to re-examine her analysis. _Then again, it's not like he's caught on either. Men! What's wrong with them? They think with their- manly-hood and not their brains! And in Gourry case, he doesn't think at all! God, it's like you have to draw a picture or pose naked on their bed for them to get the message across! _

Still, no matter how ignorant he was on this matter, this happening did tear Lina to shreds. She would never admit it to anyone externally, but seeing another woman taking a go at Gourry made her so broken up inside. Mainly in that those women had features that Lina would never have. They often had the epitome of female anatomy and women like Sylphiel were so placid; an ideal complement to Gourry's happy-go-lucky mentality. And here was Lina Inverse, flat-chested, known for a notorious quick temper, and known by people as the Chewer-Upper of Dark Lords, the Bandit Killer, the embodiment of Chaos, and the infamous Dragon Spooker. What was next? People would say that her soul was so unclean that it's rumored that pure water can melt her?

_Why do I even try? I'm hot tempered, I treat him like garbage on most days and when I don't, I just turn him aside. Besides, even if I was outward with my feelings... he would just overlook my propositions like all the other women. I don't even deserve someone as great as him._

Trying to get her mind off of what she believed to be inevitable, Lina turned back again towards her friends to see Amelia still pouting. She rested a hand on one of the princess's shoulders and leaned towards her.

"Why so glum Amelia?"

The princess's weary eyes looked up to Lina's face and she muttered, "Oh, nothing. It's just-"

She paused. If she brought up what was bothering her, she was sure Lina was going to hammer her with embarrassment and perhaps even blurt it out loud enough for Zelgadis to hear.

Instead, the red haired sorceress looked at the chimera complete with a grumpy expression on his face and reading the same pamphlet at least half a dozen times. She acknowledged to the princess with a sigh. "I get it." she whispered, "I'll see what I can do."

Perplexed and a bit frightened, Amelia could only imagine what Lina was concocting in her mind. Alas, many were quite negative in result. She covered her face with her hands and prayed to Ceiphied repeatedly that nothing cataclysmic would occur.

Lina in the meantime, began prodding Zelgadis's forearm with an extended index finger, being sure to apply extra pressure as he had a hard exterior and to further his annoyance.

"Stop that!" Zelgadis snapped as he turned to Lina, his fangs bore.

"Hey, Cranky Pants? You upset Amelia. Why don't you kiss and make up? You've got time before the show." she slyly and crassly whispered in one of his elongated ears.

Jerking back from Lina's suggestion, Zelgadis arched his back and replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. I am merely upset about a petty issue, that's all. Now will you leave me be?"

Lina counter argued, "If it's so petty, why are you carrying on like a four year old?" Then realization sat in. "Oh, it must be that petty then."

"Miss Lina-"

"Listen you!" the chimera hissed. "I can be upset anytime I want and I certainly don't need your approval to determine if my bouts of displeasure are worth investing in or not."

Groaning loud enough for most of the theater to hear Lina responded, "Well, I'm sorry that not everyone had such a twisted childhood as you. Say! That's it isn't it! There's something here that's triggering these awful memories. Hey, while we're at it, let's make a game out of it. You game Amelia?"

"I-"

Before Amelia could interject her objection, Lina butted in yet again.

"The person, who guesses right, gets the dibs on where we go for dessert." Pointing to Zelgadis fervently Lina added, "And you get to pick up the bill."

Zelgadis was floored by this proposal and by all means, was not pleased. "Stop it right now Lina!" he barked. "This isn't the time for you to take amusement in my own personal problems."

Ignoring the chimera's objection, Lina hollered, "I'll start!" and began to look out into the immediate audience. Not long after, she started pointing out every single thing, whether they be relevant or not to Zelgadis's past experiences. Who knows? Maybe she'd strike a bull's eye.

"Is it the way that woman is fanning herself? Or perhaps it's how that sick looking guy is blowing his nose? I know! It's that scantily-clad woman! Must remind you of Eris- Oh! And look! She brought an old guy with her? Isn't that sweet? I doubt he's her father with the way he's got his arm around her!"

Getting incredibly tired of the red head's antics and bringing up issues that may not have been bothering him immediately, but were now beginning to resurface, Zelgadis rose from his seat and yanked on one of the straps of Lina's dress to make her stand up and end her fun. She needed to be told straight what she was doing wasn't helping anyone; including herself.

"Hey!" she shrieked, "You're gonna tear the dress!" With the way things were going tonight and her apprehensions of wearing such an outfit, Lina had planned on returning the outfit to get her-um, Amelia's money back.

Making her face him straight on, Zelgadis growled, "Lina, stop right now! You're only doing this to deflect your own inner turmoil."

Like how Lina had been observing Amelia and Zelgadis's interactions, it wasn't an unknown secret that Lina had strong feelings for the swordsman. This was an adoration that extended past this evening and could be traced back to the earliest days of the group's travels together. As for this night's affairs, Zelgadis could readily pick up her distress in his interactions with the attractive woman sitting behind him. Then again, as Lina mentioned earlier, this happened _every_ time another woman was involved.

True to his statement though, Lina continued her efforts slapping Zelgadis's hand away from her strap afraid he would tarnish her garment and to be defensive as always.

"Oh, you are so melodramatic! You're the one deflecting! Why don't you go back and read your precious pamphlet for the sixteenth time?!"

Zelgadis groaned in further grievance rubbing his mildly hurting hand and muttered, "I've read it only twelve times."

Lina could simply not keep her anger in anymore. She shouted loudly for probably half of the theater to hear her, brought about the attention of Gourry and the young woman, and caused Zelgadis's hair to move slightly from her hot breath, "Just talk to Amelia already!"

Suddenly a booming voice seemed to come from all directions. "Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention please?" It was the compere who was apparently using a spell to help project his voice throughout the theater.

Slumping back into her seat, Lina moaned, "Oh, God. Now it's actually starting."

"Tonight's production of _Mistletoe Magic_ will began momentarily. We do hope you all enjoy tonight's show and as always remind the audience to please not use lighting or illumination spells during the show, keep talking to a minimum and in summation, please create as little distraction as possible for our actors. Enjoy the show!"

As the compere exited off the stage and applause began to sound off, Zelgadis felt the need to leave for a moment. All of the chaotic events up to now were giving him the onset of a migraine. So he rose from his seat and turned to leave the viewing area.

"I need some air." he motioned to the group subtly.

Still riled up from their spat, Lina scoffed. "The play's just starting."

Zelgadis repeated the need with more emphasis. "I _need_ some air."

Quietly excusing himself, the chimera exited only for Amelia's wandering eyes to follow him up to the point where the doors closed behind him.

Putting her prior disappointment with her bodyguard aside, Amelia also got up from her seat and turned to Lina. "I'll go check on him."

And with that, Amelia left Lina all alone as the boiling in her heart began to seep out of its protective hold. She was on the verge of a full-scale mental breakdown and it was only a matter of time before she would burst into a frenzy.

Practically, pleading for Amelia to return Lina cried, "But the play is just starting..." She howled, "Oh my God! Now I'm stuck at a play I don't even want to see, Zel's being a little bitch, Amelia's busy falling for his same mopey spiel, how could it get any worse than this?!" The sorceress placed her elbows on her upper thighs, lowered her head and buried her face in her hands. Tears began to form in her eyes from all of her pain and she felt that the evening could not get any worse.

It did.

Gourry took notice of Lina and placed a hand on one of her shoulders. "Hey, Lina?" he said softly.

_Oh, for crying out loud! I forgot all about Gourry!_ she screamed internally, her stomach wrenching at his voice and his touch.

With all the built up anger she had manifested, Lina roared back, **_"WHAT?!"_**

Puzzled by Lina's manic behavior Gourry sweated a little and asked, "Say, afterwards, when we go to dinner, can Riannon join us? I mean, I know Amelia's picking up the bill, but I-"

Instead of totally beating the tar out of him right then and there, Lina caught him dead in his sentence with a stare that would make a golden dragon cringe. She snarled, "Why should I care?! Just do whatever the hell you want and shut the hell up!"

* * *

><p>Once exited from the viewing area, Amelia began to search out for her gloomy bodyguard. Wandering around the theater's waiting lounge, the dimmed lights above her twinkled subtly and a light glow kissed her complexion. Everything was still and almost soothing compared to the thunderous applause resonating from within the staged area. Despite the near serenity of her surroundings, Amelia was baffled by her sorceress friend's conduct. Lina had gone too far in her teasing, knowing far too well that Zelgadis bore a painful past. The princess decided that there was no excuse to put him in such a precarious state. Oh, how Amelia wished she now simply talked to the chimera and straightened out any tiff they were having. Was it any wonder this evening was going down the drain?<p>

After several minutes of dutiful searching, she finally spotted the chimera looking out a large glass window and staring down at the bustling life scurrying below on the snow covered streets. He seemed so solemn, granted, he always bore that sort of persona. But in this case, he seemed more dejected than usual. No doubt from Lina's tirade, she thought.

Slowly, the princess approached him and called gently, "Are you alright Mister Zelgadis?"

Her bodyguard looked up instantaneously after hearing her voice and replied, "Yeah, I just needed a minute to collect myself."

Turning away he added, "I didn't mean for you to miss the play. Why don't you go join Lina and Gourry. I'll be in soon."

Instead of leaving, Amelia stepped all the more closer to him until she was standing side by side with him. Gazing up with soft eyes that radiated from the glimmering lights overhead, the princess assured him. "I'm alright. I'll wait for you. If anything, I didn't know if you wanted someone to talk to."

Uninterested in carrying on the conversation, Zelgadis turned away from Amelia and began to walk off. "I don't need to be a charity case to you. Go back to the play Amelia."

While Zelgadis's aloofness was not anything new to Amelia, the princess was not going to take no for an answer. She knew when her bodyguard was hurting and the fact that he was even prior to their itinerary, proved to Amelia that something terrible must have occurred for him to be that broken up. So being the stubborn type that she often was, she resisted his direct order.

"No." she replied adamantly and trailing behind him comparable to an annoying child. "You've been like this all night and it all started when we came downstairs. I feel that it has something to do with me, so why don't you just get it off your chest?"

Turning around to face her Zelgadis sneered. "It's a trivial matter that doesn't concern you."

Confused, the princess halted and asked for clarification. "Well, if it's so trivial and it doesn't concern me, then why do you carry on and treat me like I hurt you?"

Starting to feel foolish and immature, Zelgadis looked down towards the floor. "What makes you think it concerns you?" he murmured.

Sighing in slight exasperation and yearning to know the truth Amelia cried, "Because you've been ignoring and shooting me nasty looks the whole evening."

Being sarcastic Zelgadis posed a question. "Isn't that how I always look?"

The cynicism in the chimera's words stung Amelia slightly. She countered his question with another, granted it was obvious she was disheartened by his reply. "Is that meant to be rhetorical or are you just being a- a butt-head?!"

That took Zelgadis back a few years. It had been an incredibly long time since anyone had called him something like that. He snickered a bit, not really finding the humor in the name calling._ "A butt-head?_ No one's called me a butt-head since before I left primary education at the local Sorcerer's Guild."

It was clear Amelia was getting more flustered and continued her mild onslaught. "Well, whatever you are, you're acting like a real meanie!"

Again, Zelgadis countered the impish name calling. "And no one has called me that since my days at_ Kinder-_Sorcerer's Guild..."

That last comment finally made Amelia snap. Her bodyguard was now just being obstinate and she wasn't going to continue this back and forth banter anymore. "Mister Zelgadis! I will not be talked to in a demeaning tone especially when I am _trying_ to help you!"

Reminding the princess he wanted no such thing, the chimera coldly reminded her, "I don't want your help, Amelia."

Breathing through her nose and making a clear _"Hmph"_ noise in her vocal chords, the princess felt defeated and began to walk off, struggling to hold her composure much longer. "Fine. Then I guess I'll just leave you to wallow in your self-pity."

Then not too long after she began to trek away from him, Amelia spun around and hollered. "And don't expect, from the way you're acting, that you'll be getting a Yule gift from me!"

The chimera simply scoffed at that remark considering what he had discovered previously that evening. "That's rich. Considering you didn't even get me one!"

As if she had been struck with a bucket of cold water, Amelia turned around. "What? Of course I did. I bought it months ago!"

Not wanting to hear what he believed to be a lie, Zelgadis began to turn away from her. "Well, it's certainly not under the tree."

Without realizing the implications that had most likely occurred for him to identify the lack of his gift, Amelia cried in defense. "It's because I _haven't_ wrapped it yet..."

She paused.

He had noticed it was missing. "Wait. If you knew it wasn't under the tree...Then that means..."

Now, it dawned on her that Zelgadis had indeed done what she initially teased him about earlier. Rather than childish teasing, his actions became reality. Her cobalt eyes grew with excitement. Here was the cold and standoffish chimera that she had known for so many years partaking in something deemed by him to be ludicrous. Perhaps her kindness and generosity was paying off at long last.

"You peaked!"

This accusation propelled Zelgadis's mind to revert back to what he always did; to deny the allegation before him. "I did no such thing. I merely noticed someone had been going through the presents, and I was simply straightening them."

Simply not wanting to argue the point any further, Amelia motioned back again towards her dear friend. "Oh, Mister Zelgadis," she cooed. "Is that why you were so mad? Because you thought I forgot about you?"

Doing his best to shrug off his true upset, Zelgadis attempted to rectify his previous mindset. "Well, perhaps that is petty albeit childish. I just was taken aback because it's uncharacteristic of you. Especially since you've tried to make me feel better about this time of year."

Amelia's lips slowly formed into a soft smile, her lipstick glistening in the lit lights above them. Still, a great deal of concern resonated in her voice, in the anxious idea that her bodyguard thought ill of her in any way. "Mister Zelgadis, I could _never_ forget about you. You are such a dear friend to me and we've been doing a lot together as of late. How could you think I would disregard you?"

Staring down at his feet with a sour frown, the chimera replied, "I guess I always fear the worst."

The princess raised a hand and rested it gingerly on one of her body guard's shoulders. Soothingly, she replied, "Well, you don't have to with me. I'm always here for you."

How could he have ever doubted her? Thinking back on his frivolous affair, Zelgadis felt incredibly foolish. Most likely, the causation sprung from the immense hatred he had for this time of year. From there, the terrors of memories past made him doubt in the one person that always brought about joy in his life. Despite his inner demons though, there was no call for his callow demeanor.

"Amelia I-"

Shaking her head in disagreement to his attempt at an apology, Amelia insisted to move on from the incident.

"There's no need. Let's just go and see what's left of the play."

A minuscule smile appeared on the chimera's complexion and in reply to his companion's proposal; he brought a hand to his hip, creating a loop for Amelia to slip her arm around. The mere gesture sent Amelia's eyes aglow as if tiny stars twinkled and danced in a sapphire sky; reminiscent of the very sky that night. She felt as light as a feather as their arms entwined and her cheeks slightly flushed from her inner exhilaration. How she longed for this all day and could finally have that moment. At last, the princess could walk arm in arm with her bodyguard; the man she adored so much. Every step they took was pure heaven to her and Zelgadis too seemed content.

Despite the resolve and the magic in this moment, Amelia did have to clarify one thing to her escort.

"Oh, and Mister Zelgadis, you're not really a butt-head."

Looking down at her questionable, but the smile still imprinted on his face, Zelgadis nearly chuckled. "What about a meanie?"

Grabbing his arm a little tighter, Amelia leaned her head near his shoulder causing a purplish blush to creep onto the chimera's face. Sighing she answered, "Just once in a while."

* * *

><p>While Amelia and Zelgadis were out of the auditorium, Lina's discomfort remained the same. Gourry's oblivious nature was nothing unknown to her but the fact that all he said to her earlier in the evening was tossed out the window drove her mad. This acrimony billowing up inside her with his buffoonish interactions with that nymph behind them was able to stabilize after a fashion, but prevented her from enjoying the production. Granted, she didn't really want to see the damn thing, but even if she wanted to, she simply couldn't keep her focus on what characters were on stage and where the story was going. So while characters threaded exposition and exclamatory dialogue in their lines, Lina could not make heads or tails of any of it. All she could think of were the very actions that ate away at her mind and her heart.<p>

"Oh, Mortimer! My sweet!" cried the young actress playing the love interest in the play. "What a lovely thought! Mistletoe...what a surprisingly romantic gesture. However did you come to use this poisonous plant in your efforts to woo me?"

"Why, my delicate snowflake," the male protagonist crooned, "The white of the berries reminds me of the fresh fall of snow and that with the first falling snow, I see you once again."

If anything, the dialogue made Lina retch causing her stomach to turn and leave her in a further state of discomfort. All of this lovely dovey stuff was killing her to watch considering everything that had just come to pass. So when Zelgadis and Amelia finally returned, Lina made the quickest exit imaginable. Practically leaping from her seat, she covered her mouth from her ill feeling and dashed out the door in a flash.

This not only caught Amelia and Zelgadis off guard, but it also stirred the attentions of Gourry, who had noticed her rash departure in the corner of his eye. His concern evident since before the production started, but now furthered in seeing Lina leave with such hurry. Rising from his seat, it was time for him and Lina to get some air. As he departed he caught sight of the young woman from earlier. She glanced up at him only for a moment and bore another desirable smile before returning her attention to the play. He politely smiled back only to continue his journey to find his red haired friend.

The sorceress had made her way to the restroom grasping the nearest chamber pot from the entrance. To put it lightly, her use in this locality was not pleasant by any means. Granted these waste instruments were fancier than any in a normal residence, complete with a stall for privacy, but all the same, the posture of resting on her hands and knees retching hurt Lina considerably. Not long after gaining access, she began to vomit the evening's meal that she had so thoroughly enjoyed earlier, but now wished she hadn't ingested. The burning of stomach acid in the lining of her throat was excruciating and she yearned for the relief of rinsing her mouth with cold water. Becoming wobbly from her regurgitation, Lina tried to stagger back up to an upright posture, but to no avail, feeling another bout of nausea and proceeded to expel more of her stomach's contents.

Meanwhile, the blonde swordsman sought after Lina looking everywhere possible before realizing the most obvious location of his companion; the ladies' room. As he reached the lavatory, Gourry paused for a moment realizing that it was not appropriate for a gentleman to barge into a woman's restroom. All caution was decimated though, when he made out the distinguishable coughing and gagging of his dear friend Lina.

In a flash, he ran to the bathroom, barged through with abandoned and cried, "Lina!?"

Looking around in a frenzy, he saw her feet from under a stall. Fortunately for the swordsman, no other women were present. "Lina!? Lina!? It's me, Lina! Gourry!"

At last, her retching had subsided. However, she now felt incredibly weak and the thought of Gourry being outside the stall spelled trouble for her.

"Gourry," she croaked. "Wh-What are you doing? This is the women's bathroom."

"I know Lina," he replied. "But I was really worried about you and I heard you gagging a bunch out in the hall. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Staggering to get to her feet, Lina insisted, "I'll be alright Gourry. Just get out."

Alas, as soon as she unlocked the stall and got to her feet, Lina began to stumble and would have certainly fallen to the ground again had Gourry not been there to catch her. Cradling her on the cold tiled floor, Gourry noticed the extent of her fatigue with the sight of her ordeal and the odor that began to permeate the immediate area.

"You need to lie down." Gourry asserted to the sorceress. While trying to get her more comfortable, the blonde man had to ask himself what could have caused Lina to feel so sick.

The red haired sorceress insisted though that she was perfectly fine and just needed some air. So with Gourry's assistance, she slowly was able to exit the bathroom, and the two headed outside for a while. Fortunately for Gourry, he had chanced upon finding an attendant that would take care of the bathroom and was able to ask the person who held viewer's coats to give them theirs back.

As the pair walked out into the midnight blue night, snow continued to fall around them. The dancing snowflakes fell upon Lina's warm red cheeks and melted as soon as they landed on her. They had spied a bench not far from the theater and decided to sit there. After assisting Lina in sitting down, Gourry looked up to the sky and sighed heavily.

"Gee, it sure is pretty tonight."

Her gaze turning up to him, Lina smiled softly, "Yeah, it is nice out here. It's like the bustling familiarity of Seyrunn has vanished in place of this slow, quiet atmosphere." She chuckled a bit and added, "I sure wouldn't mind if the kingdom was more like this."

Laughing aloud for a moment, her companion agreed. "Yeah, it's just nice to sit back and watch the snow fall. No people standing in your way, making a lot of noise or anything." He fell silent for a brief moment and then concluded, "Just silence is nice."

The stillness resonated for a moment. Then Gourry turned his head towards Lina and said, "This is my favorite time of year Lina. The snow, the festivities, the gifts..."

The swordsman trailed off for a moment. It was as if he had forgotten about something that was very important to him. Then it dawned on him, "Oh! _The food!_ I can never forget the food!"

Lina couldn't help but laugh a little. Gourry had a bottomless gut like her, one of the many commonalities they shared. "I can't argue with you on that Gourry," she replied then realizing the mere mentioning of food made her nauseous. Clenching her stomach a little she sighed, "I just hope I can enjoy the food again soon. Right now, just thinking about it makes me want to hurl."

Realizing the topic was perhaps not the best for her, Gourry apologized but Lina insisted that he didn't need to. He rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. That same smile she saw when they first met all those years ago.

"This is actually my favorite time of year too Gourry. It's like a type of magic envelopes the entire world and even the greatest dangers seem to dissipate. Can a time of year really do that to this many people?"

Not even being the philosophical type the swordsman responded, "Well, maybe. At least, that's what Amelia always says."

The sorceress rolled her eyes. Typical for Amelia to feel that way given her innate love for justice and all things wonderful. But what Lina was feeling wasn't that of the idyllic fairy tale model that Amelia so yearned to project on any poor fellow within hearing distance. No, to her, there was a genuine feeling. Something that Lina could not quite pinpoint.

"You know, maybe Amelia's right," she finally responded. "Sure she can be a bit...exuberant and impish in her deductions, but I honestly can't think of any other way to describe it."

"Me neither," replied her companion.

Lina's eyes narrowed in mild annoyance and rebutted, "That's because you don't have a brain, Jellyfish."

Chortling in reply, Gourry added, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Again, silence fell upon them and for a while the two just stared out into the blanket of white. Then putting her off guard a bit the swordsman faced Lina again, snowflakes embedded in his blonde mane.

"Say Lina?" he asked, "How would you feel if we just went home after the play? I think you need to rest and I don't want to see you get sicker." He then looked up at the sky which was becoming infested with falling snow. "Besides, I think another storm is coming in and I don't want us to get caught up in another one."

A tiny grin graced Lina's face and she sighed, "Sure. That would be great Gourry."

Leaving their wintry bench for the warmth of the theater, Gourry continued to support Lina a bit as she still felt a bit weak. Little did Gourry realize that Lina was feeling a lot better now. He cared about her and he made that evident.

Then again, hadn't he always?

* * *

><p>The pair journeyed back to the play and was finally able to sit down and take in whatever remained of the production. As Lina had expected, if one had walked in on this performance at any point, it was inevitable what the outcome would be. The male protagonist and the love interest would get together in a romantic fashion, find the true meaning of the holiday season, and the antagonist, if there even was one, would either be defeated by the hero andor be converted into a good guy as well. Indeed, a cliché ending to a cliché concept.

Suffice it to say, Lina and Zelgadis were underwhelmed with the turnout and Amelia and Gourry found the play to be delightful.

As soon as the lamps were re-lit to help people navigate away from the auditorium, the red haired sorceress stretched and groaned dramatically, "Ah! Thank God that's over. I thought I was going to fall asleep."

Her chimera friend smirked and replied, "Yes, it was a touch too predictable." However, not wanting to totally break his princess companion's heart, he turned to face her and added, "I will say though that even with the likelihood it would turn out that way, I do think it did capture the reason for the season."

To that remark Amelia beamed a great smile and placed a hand on one of his shoulders. "Thank you for watching it with me...er...us."

Soon came the time for the foursome to leave. Zelgadis helped Amelia up from her seat by offering a hand and Gourry rose up to do the same for Lina when a figure from previously appeared before him.

"Some play wasn't it?"

It was the young woman from earlier.

Gourry turned to face the voluptuous figure as slight agitation coursed through Lina's veins once more. Granted, the discussion she had with the swordsman helped subside her anxieties, but she couldn't help but get a bit apprehensive.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," replied the blonde man almost nonchalantly.

Twirling one of her wavy ringlets, the young woman asked with cherry lips parted, "So, about dinner tonight?"

Despite a small smile, Gourry shook his head in reply and merely answered, "Maybe another time. My friends and I are pretty tired and I think if we were out any later, we wouldn't be much company."

Nodding her head slightly in supposed understanding the woman replied, "Don't worry about it. Another time would be nice."

The swordsman simply reciprocated in response with a mild vocalization "Mmm..." and nodded his head as well. Then his attention returned back to Lina as he aided her from her seat and proceeded to escort her out of the auditorium as Zelgadis and Amelia had done before them. Not able to leave however until Lina shot the siren a look of death and then proceeded to pull down on one of her eyelids and sticking out her tongue. A bit childish, yes. But she wanted to make her feelings perfectly clear, even if her male companion continued to be ignorant to them.

Gourry was her object of affection and she would never allow anyone else to take him from her.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Note:<em>** Albeit a little late for Christmas, here is the second chapter. I do hope you all have enjoyed it and wish you all a Happy Holiday season! :) My goal is to get the next installments completed before or by the beginning of January.

Thanks again for reading!


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